Fevrier: Le mois de l’amour

With February being la mois de l’amour (the month of love), it’s a good time for anyone, single or spoken for, to work on healing the issues of the heart. So, while you and your sweetie may be getting ready for the special date come the 14th, prepare your heart even more by clearing the clutter that may have accumulated over the past year or longer.

Single? Even better. Treat yourself to some special “me time” and get rid of those blasted blues this time of year may exacerbate. First, let’s find out why the heart is so important — besides that it pumps blood to every organ of our body.

Anahata, the heart chakra, is Sanskrit for “unhurt, unstruck, unbeaten.” It is the non-physical sound that vibrates without beginning or end. The heart chakra is the meeting place for the upper and lower chakras assimilating and healing those energies and allowing them to flow freely through the body.

When the heart chakra is in balance, we are quick to forgive, demonstrate compassion, unconditional love and trust among other positive actions. Our relationships are fulfilling, we trust implicitly though selectively, we believe in something greater than ourselves and, make decisions from our higher self — we “follow our heart.”

When it is out of balance we may have difficulty in relationships, lack discipline, be afraid of being hurt, be in or have been in emotionally or physically abusive relationships, or feel abandoned.

We might also have issues with our physical body such as developing asthma, manifest blood problems such as anemia, malaria or lymphoma; we may have problems with our thymus, our circulatory system or breasts. Upper back and shoulder issues are also indications of a closed or partially blocked anahata.

C’est what?

What does that mean for us? It gives us a place to start the healing we all need. When we understand what is holding us back, we can begin unlocking the secrets that have kept us from healing. With the heart, it begins when we look at our relationships: with our self, or others. First, ask yourself if you’ve recently experienced any of the above symptoms (not all-inclusive).

Try to look at it from all angles. If you’re stuck on something, ask your angels or higher power for help. Most importantly, do not beat yourself up about things that have taken a while to work through, or that you didn’t realize until now.

Crystals and gemstones can be powerful tools to amp up the healing energy and bring clarity and wisdom into the process. How do you know which one to choose? Look at the color of the chakra. This is a good indicator of what color crystal to choose. It is not by any means a hard and fast rule, but gives you a place to start. The heart chakra is seen as green, pink, or green with a pink center. Emeralds, rose quartz, green calcite and pink petalite are just a few of the crystals you can use. I recommend going to a store and choosing one versus ordering over the Internet. Stones “choose you” many times and when they do, they can be that much more effective. The same is true for just wearing or surrounding yourself with the colors green and pink (for guys, “salmon” and “Packers green”).

Food for l’amour

Love your heart even more by eating the right foods. Green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, broccoli, cabbage, kale and celery, and spices like, sage, cilantro and parsley will all add beneficial healing to the heart chakra. Don’t like your vegetables? Try them in a smoothie. There are several books you can buy for recipes. If you’re not sure which one to choose, pick one up at your local library.

Still not feeling the amore’? Give Valentine’s Day cards to your neighbors, friends and coworkers. Studies show that acts of kindness create a domino effect. Further, the effect persists. Once you give, the benefit of doing so leaves you giving more often.

Knowing all of this you can set up the perfect Valentines’ Day date for yourself or your significant other. Coupled or not, get a massage. And a massage with Reiki is even better. Reiki addresses the emotional aspects of healing, while massage helps to work it out from the muscles and tissue. Then treat yourself to a wholesome, delicious meal either at home or a fine restaurant. Either way you’ll be heart-healthy and ready for some amore’.